I think I want to be a writer

[SilverBandCry!]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

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[Apparition]

I think you should definitely write for a while if that is your passion, especially if you're just out of college.

 

[OctoDoc]

Read Richard Selzer, a surgeon turned writer. And he can write!

 

[Hope2010]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

You should talk to omgwtfbbq about it. She's already been accepted for this fall's incoming class, but last I heard she was considering a similar idea.

 

[Rafa]

I plan on doing both - writing while going through med school, and beyond. It's possible. You don't need an MFA to write - you need to write.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

i agree with the above post you and I should have a chat.

I was accepted into MFA programs and a medical school. I applied to both at the same time, with the idea that I wanted to go to writing school if i didn't get into medical school so i could spend my time doing that while I regrouped for re-application to medical school. All through undergrad I went through the dilamme writing or medicine, writing or medicine.
It didn't get easier and so i thought well, maybe writing THEN medicine. yeah, thats it. But It's so hard to get into MFA programs and med school. So thats where the applications to both came in. I wasn't sure what i wanted to - just writing school THEN med school? just med school?

SO. I went ahead and applied to both. once i had applied to both here is what happened

I got into 4 writing schools
I got into one medical school
I celebrated briefly then...
I had a panic attack

My options

request a 2 year deferral from the deferral committee of my medical school (RARE) and do a 2 year program

request a 1 year deferral from the dean of the medical school and do the one year program I got into (i was thinking ahead and applied to 1, 2, and 3 year programs, since i didn't know what the med school app outcomes would be)

go to med school


All of my options afforded me the chance to write. I want to be a writing doctor. There are lots of them out there. Many of them quite talented. I'll be writing in med school, even if its just for 10 minutes or in my sleep


TURNOUT: I decided 2 years was too long to be away from med school (i was thinking about age, and time away, other factors) I applied for a one year deferral. I got the one year deferral (one year goes by fast), accepted the one year MFA program, and then will be going to medical school in Fall 2007.

GOOD PART: My motivation for medicine went through the roof again. A lot of my fears and sudden desire to just go write came with... well, being uncertain and being nervous. would i get in? (great everything on my app but a 28 mcat) would i be good? what about the stress? but when I finally DID get in, and especially when I went to my school's second look, I almost didn't even ask for the deferral I was so excited to start. i want to be a doctor more than anything, I know that. The only thing I want more is to be a writing doctor. And that just takes the intense motivation i'm sure you have. Even if i didn't get a deferral, I would be writing every morning before med school classes start, or even on lunch break, or in my sleep

BAD PART: All the choices. the decisions and stress about it. but that's not really bad when it all works out. so... no real permanent negatives. If I don't get much out of my year program? Well, my seat is still waiting for me, and i'm not risking my dream. I'll be an ENT surgeon (hopefully) when i'm 35 instead of 34. Thats not a huge difference.

I'd love to know if you've applied yet, where you are in the application, and hey, do you want to trade short stories?

 

[Doc.Holliday]

Read Richard Selzer, a surgeon turned writer. And he can write!

or Anton Chekhov or WC Williams

 

[CTSballer11]

or Anton Chekhov or WC Williams

Or michael crichton.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

Ethan Canin, Oliver Sacks, that guy who just wrote the kite runner.... who is that...

 

[e_phn]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

Hi SilverBandCry,
Knowing you want to be a writer, I think this quote is pretty interesting, so i want to share it with you.

"Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone."
- Amy Tan

 

[Pkboi24]

SilverBandCry! I empathize with you entirely. I love writing and performing poetry. I am a freelancewriter, and for a long time, I struggled with the idea of medicine versus writing. In all likelihood, everything I have to share with you, you will have already figured out for yourself. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Writing is my passion and so is medicine. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, healthcare, both the setting and the characters within, have been the inspiration to much of my writing.

To write is to learn the human condition. Truly, I cannot think of a more perfect complement to the art of medicine than that of writing.

 

[mj1878]

You must do what you're passionate about. I began undergrad as a music major, and a couple years in realized that majoring in music was like doing a lot of unpleasant chores. I only went into music because it was what I was good at at the time; I had done a lot of honor bands, and gotten a lot of positive feedback about being a music major, so I did it. What a mistake. I could be in rotations already if I hadn't wasted my time.

Also, medicine isn't something that you should commit to lightly. It's an expensive "exploration" to undertake.

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

This reminds me of the really funny scene in Orange County when he told his dad he wanted to be a writer.

 

[Law2Doc]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

Bear in mind that there is no school/degree that's a prereq required for being a writer. Most writers don't go to writing programs or get graduate degrees. If you peruse the current bestseller lists, I suspect you will find few if any graduates of writing schools. But if you are not sure you want to be a doctor you absolutely should pursue other things first. That's something you really need to decide BEFORE you apply to med school.

 

[SilverBandCry!]

Ethan Canin, Oliver Sacks, that guy who just wrote the kite runner.... who is that...

OMGWTFBBQ, what MFA programs are a year?

Thanks!

 

[Rafa]

Orange County is pretty much the best movie about being a writer I've seen in the past five or so years. It captures the passion from a young person's perspective, which makes it identifiable for our age group.

 

[PH7.4]

Read the book On Writing by Stephen King. If you're one of those people who thinks Stephen King isn't a great writer, you're an idiot.

Here's the bottom line.

Writing takes incredible amounts of time. To actually make something worthwhile you're going to have to write incredible amounts of total crap. Somewhere in that mountain of crap will be the beautiful diamond of your prose. But you'll have to dig it out, wearing rubber gloves. And you will be covered in crap.

Med school is very time consuming. So is writing. Crichton wrote a book in med school. It's not impossible. But it might be hard to find the time.

Writing takes a lot of time. A lot. Crichton might have puked out that first novel on auto-pilot. They say the first one comes out that way sometimes.

What's this MFA stuff? If you're going to take two years off, spend that two years reading for four hours every day and writing for four hours every day.

If you read four hours every and and write four hours every day you'll find your truth and you'll be a writer. If you can't do this you won't be a writer. And you can't do it while you're in med school.

Do med school anyways, though, because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt.

Nobody says "I want to be a writer." Either you're writing or you aren't. And if you aren't writing you aren't a writer.

So write.

 

[Pkboi24]

Read the book On Writing by Stephen King. If you're one of those people who thinks Stephen King isn't a great writer, you're an idiot.

Here's the bottom line.

Writing takes incredible amounts of time. To actually make something worthwhile you're going to have to write incredible amounts of total crap. Somewhere in that mountain of crap will be the beautiful diamond of your prose. But you'll have to dig it out, wearing rubber gloves. And you will be covered in crap.

Med school is very time consuming. So is writing. Crichton wrote a book in med school. It's not impossible. But it might be hard to find the time.

Writing takes a lot of time. A lot. Crichton might have puked out that first novel on auto-pilot. They say the first one comes out that way sometimes.

What's this MFA stuff? If you're going to take two years off, spend that two years reading for four hours every day and writing for four hours every day.

If you read four hours every and and write four hours every day you'll find your truth and you'll be a writer. If you can't do this you won't be a writer. And you can't do it while you're in med school.

Do med school anyways, though, because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt.

Nobody says "I want to be a writer." Either you're writing or you aren't. And if you aren't writing you aren't a writer.

So write.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[CCEMTP2DOC]

Khaled Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner.

 

[PEN15]

Or michael crichton.

or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I don't understand why people have to choose one or the other; why can't you do both? It's been proven time and time again that you can do other things when you're a practicing doctor. People really need to start thinking outside the box.

It is really hard to become a successful professional author. If you have the opportunity to pursue medicine, then I suggest you do it and write in your spare time (if you even have spare time). The point is that if you're truly passionate about writing, it's always going to be there. It's harder to start med school when you're in your 40s. There's no harm in using medicine as your financial safety net; it's just practical to do so.

 

[Cirrus83]

*sigh* man, you know, even though I know I'm not the greatest writer, I've always wanted to write a great sci-fi novel (not like, a crappy lame one that seems like someone watched too much star trek, but something that's in uncharted territory). And, if there's one thing I learned, doing 20 years worth of editing can do wonders on anybody's writing.

Anyways, no reason you can't be a doctor and a writer. Just don't think you'll crank out a novel a year (not that anybody who really cranks out a novel a year would really crank out legendary stuff anyway).

 

[Law2Doc]

or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I don't understand why people have to choose one or the other; why can't you do both? It's been proven time and time again that you can do other things when you're a practicing doctor. People really need to start thinking outside the box.

If you have to go all the way back to Sherlock Holmes for a doctor/writer, then clearly it is not something accomplished that often. Truth of the matter is that while it is "possible" to be a practicing doctor and writer (A. Gawande is a good recent example), very few people find the necessary down time to accomplish this as a physician. You will already be juggling your time pretty severely if you want a family, so to add another vocation on top of this is unrealistic for all but a few. It's not an issue of thinking outside the box, it is thinking outside of the clock, because time, not three dimentional thinking is what is confining you here.

 

[jbrice1639]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

i bailed out of being a pre-med as a freshman in undergrad and got my undergrad degree in creative writing. i'm 25 and an M1 now, and I wouldn't change a thing about my path. if you want to write, do it. the mfa program will force you to write a LOT and will give you the time to do it. then, you can continue writing in med school if you decide to go that route.

 

[OctoberSky]

Your thread definitely caught my attention. I'm an English major and pre-med, and often find my artistic and scientific side at war. At the risk of sounding utterly pessimistic, the chances of supporting yourself as a full-time writer are rather low. I always saw anything fine-art related as being a side project with the hope that perhaps it will come to something one day. Most artists have a day job (or in the case of medicine-night job).

I say, go to med school and write on the side. Freelance or write the next great novel. Anything you really love you find the time for. Hopefully we'll be reading your stuff on the Times Bestseller list!

 

[MattD]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

Apricots. That's what I think about that.

Will you write me a poem about the apricots though?

 

[chaeymaey]

Wow, I had been thinking about this a lot lately, and I'm so glad to know that I'm not alone. I love writing, but I'm not a creative writer; I'm a literary critic. I'm really into critical literary theory and comparative literature, and I'd love to publish research and my findings. Med school was always my plan growing up, and I didn't discover literary criticism until college where I majored in English. Now that I got into med school, I've been thinking alot about whether I will have to abandon literary study. But I think I can make room in my life for both things, and hopefully in the future (probably distant future) I'll be able to get an MA or even Ph.D in English.

 

[Gabujabu]

There are also doctors who are writers too, like Atul Gawande & Oliver Sacks.

 

[BeatrixKiddo]

I plan on doing both - writing while going through med school, and beyond. It's possible. You don't need an MFA to write - you need to write.

True. You can be a doctor and go after your passion of professional vaccuming, but not visa versa.

 

[Writer1985]

Nobody says "I want to be a writer." Either you're writing or you aren't. And if you aren't writing you aren't a writer.

So write.

Great advice, pH. I've been thinking about this a lot recently, considering withdrawing or deferring med school stuff for a year or two (not for an MFA, just to have time to write) and something like this was exactly what I needed to hear. No more excuses about not having enough time right now! And no waiting around for the Muse to come a-knocking!

Also, wow, there seem to be a lot of us who are interested in literature and writing. We ought to start some kind of club.

 

[neurodoc]

True. You can be a doctor and go after your passion of professional vaccuming, but not visa versa.

That's it, in a nutshell. It comes down to this: you don't NEED a degree to be a good writer, and having one will not assure that you become a good writer. Indeed, you can get a degree in "literature" and fail as a writer. What you need is TALENT, which really can't be taught. If you want to be a physician, however, you NEED to get a medical degree and get a license to practice medicine. Getting into med school is the difficult part. Having literary talent is also difficult(and is really the MOST difficult thing), but it is not at all difficult to get enrolled into a graduate "literary" program There are plenty of good writers sans literary degrees. There are no physicians sans a medical doctorate. So if you have your heart set on becoming a literary physician (like AC Doyle or WC Williams) you should try to get accepted to medical school.

 

[undrcovrgunner]

Go to medical school and use your experiences to help you develop your writing. Medicine is a laboratory filled with magical things that are just waiting to be contemplated and discussed (<-- that sounded a little bit dreamy)

 

[biggoron42]

thought i would share this, because chris adrian is a total stud and - imo - one of the best young physician-writers, and this interview excerpt i thought encapsulated a lot of the ideas being slung around on this thread:

I noticed that you're currently a medical student. There's a prominent lineage of physician/writers. What do you think is the connection between medicine and literature?

There are days when I think that the two entities or disciplines are entirely immiscible and antagonistic, and others where they seem not just to complement each other but to be, in a strange way, twin enterprises. I generally have more of the former days than the latter, but I hope that will change as I grow up, both as a writer and as a future physician. You make nobody better by sitting up all through the night and making yourself into a wild-eyed caffeine fiend for the sake of five new pages of manuscript--only five sentences of which actually turn out to be worth anything--and then subsequently sleeping through anatomy, leaving the dirty cadaver work to your innocent classmates. Poetry, while it probably does not actually do nothing in general, does nothing (to my knowledge) for a spastic colon. Yet it seems to me that good doctors and good writers are both likely to be keen social observers, and that when you are doing good work in medicine or in fiction you are making obvious previously unseen connections. A friend who is superior to me both as a writer and a person has proposed that compassion is composed of elements of curiosity, imagination, and devotion; if this is true than I think it could be argued that the arts of medicine and literature rest on a foundation at least partially shared. As for the lineage of physician/writers, some of them are my heroes and some of them make me sad. I hope, in any case, not to follow what seems to be the sensible trend of leaving one practice for the other. When people ask me which I would rather give up, writing or medicine, it's like being asked which eye I'd prefer to have poked out with a spoon: neither, and please use a fork.

 

[Sarikate]

This same struggle was the bane of my existence for years until I realized I didn't really have to make a decision between my two loves; I could do both. I managed to write an essay that was published internationally by Lonely Planet two years ago, and I'll be in med school next fall.

Now, the hard part is, will I have TIME to write in med school, the way I'd like to? Probably not. But for sure, I will make time for it later. I'm comfortable with the fact that my passions will ebb and flow; they will compliment each other.

Have you ever read any books by Perri Klass? She is a pediatrician/writer; was my idol there for a while, back when I was a teenager. She wrote about her experiences in med school and residency.

 

[tdkneo]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?[/QUOTE

isnt that a waste of time going around like that.....if medicine is really what you want to do, then you should know it already, and if writing is for you, then go for it.....i think u are wasting time like that.........i made the same mistake during my undergraduate year, went thru hell with the computer engineering but not even using it now.........what i really want to go into now and have always wanted to go into is medicine, but i never actually realized it until recently.....im 25 and speaking from my own perspective, that's why i think medical schools prefer older students because their decisions in life are more matured and structured, and they tend to be alot more dedicated toward their goal, which is crucial for medical schools......ALL EXPERIENCE TALKING NOW ......... if i discovered my passion for medicine early in my undergraduate years, then i would probably be in medical school by now........but yeah, thats just my opinion.....

 

[jbrice1639]

There are also doctors who are writers too, like Atul Gawande & Oliver Sacks.

and Anton Chekhov

 

[jbrice1639]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?[/QUOTE

isnt that a waste of time going around like that.....if medicine is really what you want to do, then you should know it already, and if writing is for you, then go for it.....i think u are wasting time like that.........i made the same mistake during my undergraduate year, went thru hell with the computer engineering but not even using it now.........what i really want to go into now and have always wanted to go into is medicine, but i never actually realized it until recently.....im 25 and speaking from my own perspective, that's why i think medical schools prefer older students because their decisions in life are more matured and structured, and they tend to be alot more dedicated toward their goal, which is crucial for medical schools......ALL EXPERIENCE TALKING NOW ......... if i discovered my passion for medicine early in my undergraduate years, then i would probably be in medical school by now........but yeah, thats just my opinion.....

you start your post by telling the OP that he/she should already know what he/she wants to do while then saying that you yourself did not know until recently...since there's so many writers on this thread, i figured they'd all appreciate the irony...

beyond that, you even say that medical schools prefer older students with more experience, so the OP wouldn't be wasting time - the OP would actually be increasing the chances of acceptance to medical school by getting the MFA and gaining some maturity and experience...

 

[jbrice1639]

Now, the hard part is, will I have TIME to write in med school, the way I'd like to? Probably not. But for sure, I will make time for it later. I'm comfortable with the fact that my passions will ebb and flow; they will compliment each other.

you'll make time if you want to. find people like you at your school. we actually have a creative writers club at loyola and we publish an annual book of writing, art and photography. if you find others who like to write, it'll help you find the time to do it yourself.

 

[searun]

Read Richard Selzer, a surgeon turned writer. And he can write!

He is one of my all time favorites. He combined a career as a surgeon with a writing career, focused on the medical profession. I think that he actually taught some writing classes at Yale in addition to teaching at the Yale medical school. Anything by Selzer is fabulous. Read Letters to a Young Doctor and also The Exact Location of the Soul.

Searun

 

[OctoberSky]

Geez, i love this thread. Yes, I second the notion that you can be a writer and a doctor. Plus, they say truly great writing comes from your experiences, and as a physician you will have plenty. You need to live life and pursue your goals to have something interesting to write about. Unless your into science fiction...hmmm...which a science background would help you in anyway. Or you can just pull great tales out of your a#$# sans experience.

 

[etf]

so these are the people i'm competing with when i compose my personal statement? michael crichton? man, i better start mine for 2008 ASAP.

 

[Pkboi24]

I think part of the reason there are so many physician/writers out there is because writing is a very introspective activity. You have to know yourself in order to write well because, like it or not, great writing is never great simply for the words on the page. It's great because it lets you peer into the soul of the writer, raw and unabridged, in all its grotesqueness. Those of us who are writers usually know or at least attempt to know ourselves better than most and that is exactly what one must do when choosing a career in medicine. There are too many distractions on the road to being a great physician (money, prestige, fame, etc.). It is only those who know what they want through constant introspection and self-affirmation that can keep true to their values and morals as a physician. Their knowledge of self provides them with an endless source of motivation, drive, and perseverence for what they believe in. Contrary to popular belief that those torn between writing and medicine are more likely to stray from either, I believe that they act in mutuality, each reaffirming commitment to the other.





EDIT: 800 posts beetches! Oh yeah!

 

[etf]

I think part of the reason there are so many physician/writers out there is because writing is a very introspective activity. You have to know yourself in order to write well because, like it or not, great writing is never great simply for the words on the page. It's great because it lets you peer into the soul of the writer, raw and unabridged, in all its grotesqueness. Those of us who are writers usually know or at least attempt to know ourselves better than most and that is exactly what one must do when choosing a career in medicine. There are too many distractions on the road to being a great physician (money, prestige, fame, etc.). It is only those who know what they want through constant introspection and self-affirmation that can keep true to their values and morals as a physician. Their knowledge of self provides them with an endless source of motivation, drive, and perseverence for what they believe in. Contrary to popular belief that those torn between writing and medicine are more likely to stray from either, I believe that they act in mutuality, each reaffirming commitment to the other.

and i gotta compete with this guy, too?

 

[coloradocutter]

Read the book On Writing by Stephen King. If you're one of those people who thinks Stephen King isn't a great writer, you're an idiot.

Here's the bottom line.

Writing takes incredible amounts of time. To actually make something worthwhile you're going to have to write incredible amounts of total crap. Somewhere in that mountain of crap will be the beautiful diamond of your prose. But you'll have to dig it out, wearing rubber gloves. And you will be covered in crap.

Med school is very time consuming. So is writing. Crichton wrote a book in med school. It's not impossible. But it might be hard to find the time.

Writing takes a lot of time. A lot. Crichton might have puked out that first novel on auto-pilot. They say the first one comes out that way sometimes.

What's this MFA stuff? If you're going to take two years off, spend that two years reading for four hours every day and writing for four hours every day.

If you read four hours every and and write four hours every day you'll find your truth and you'll be a writer. If you can't do this you won't be a writer. And you can't do it while you're in med school.

Do med school anyways, though, because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt.

Nobody says "I want to be a writer." Either you're writing or you aren't. And if you aren't writing you aren't a writer.

So write.

Whoa! "Do med school anyways...because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt."

I am not a physician but have several relatives that are and I am a patent attorney who helps many physicians start biotechnology companies. Many of them are not happy precisely because they followed this "what else should I do mentality." Finding work you love and that pays well is a difficult journey and it is foolish to think that filling the next 8-10 years of your life with school/residency is going to automatically solve that problem for you. Although it feels like you have to hurry up and do everything now, you don't. If you start med school not knowing if its what you want to do or not at 22 and then you absolutely hate your life, at some point, the inertia will carry you through and you will do it because you feel like you "have to." If you are older, but more certain it is what you want to do, then you will probably have a totally different experience. So, bottom line, take the time you need to find out if it is what you want to do - and that is the same for graduate school of any kind.

On writing, I agree. If you want to find out if you want to be a writer, write. Can you handle the isolation? The frustration? Read the book "Forest for the Trees" - can't remember the author, but she is a poet, former editor, and currently a literary agent at one of the most prestigious firms. After reading her book, you come away with the feeling that the only people who should write are those that have to. She also talks about MFA programs.

And, for the 500 lb. gorilla in the room...where do I get off saying anything about this when I am an attorney, who are supposed to be the most unhappy professionals out there. Well, experience. I went to law school originally "to help people." I went to top school but with scholarships and the low tuition at a state school, I graduated with no debt. I was offered $125K to start at the age of 25. Now, almost 5 years later, I am making more than double that and I still can't leave. I can't imagine how hard it is to leave medicine if you are miserable because you are making a ton of money, but you need it to pay off your debt and you have invested much more than 3 years into it. Fortunately, I have been able to save a ton of $$$ that I am using to do other things and explore other options and law is something that I can do from home should I choose too. So, I guess I am just saying be sure this is what you want because life comes at you fast - kids, marriage, house payments change everything. You don't want to be stuck in job that you don't enjoy.

 

[8744]

I think that I want to be a writer and I am not completely sure that I want to be a doctor. So I am thinking of applying to MFA Writing programs and getting a masters and if I feel still that medicine is what I want to do, go to med school later. What do you think about that?

You have to have something to write about to be a writer. I'd do medicine first, then at least you'll have something to write about that people might be interested in reading.

 

[Pkboi24]

Whoa! "Do med school anyways...because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt."

I am not a physician but have several relatives that are and I am a patent attorney who helps many physicians start biotechnology companies. Many of them are not happy precisely because they followed this "what else should I do mentality." Finding work you love and that pays well is a difficult journey and it is foolish to think that filling the next 8-10 years of your life with school/residency is going to automatically solve that problem for you. Although it feels like you have to hurry up and do everything now, you don't. If you start med school not knowing if its what you want to do or not at 22 and then you absolutely hate your life, at some point, the inertia will carry you through and you will do it because you feel like you "have to." If you are older, but more certain it is what you want to do, then you will probably have a totally different experience. So, bottom line, take the time you need to find out if it is what you want to do - and that is the same for graduate school of any kind.

On writing, I agree. If you want to find out if you want to be a writer, write. Can you handle the isolation? The frustration? Read the book "Forest for the Trees" - can't remember the author, but she is a poet, former editor, and currently a literary agent at one of the most prestigious firms. After reading her book, you come away with the feeling that the only people who should write are those that have to. She also talks about MFA programs.

And, for the 500 lb. gorilla in the room...where do I get off saying anything about this when I am an attorney, who are supposed to be the most unhappy professionals out there. Well, experience. I went to law school originally "to help people." I went to top school but with scholarships and the low tuition at a state school, I graduated with no debt. I was offered $125K to start at the age of 25. Now, almost 5 years later, I am making more than double that and I still can't leave. I can't imagine how hard it is to leave medicine if you are miserable because you are making a ton of money, but you need it to pay off your debt and you have invested much more than 3 years into it. Fortunately, I have been able to save a ton of $$$ that I am using to do other things and explore other options and law is something that I can do from home should I choose too. So, I guess I am just saying be sure this is what you want because life comes at you fast - kids, marriage, house payments change everything. You don't want to be stuck in job that you don't enjoy.

Thanks for the advice. So, just to clear things up, are you saying that you dislike your career? I thought about doing a MD/JD but was afraid that I'd fail as a lawyer since I absolutely loathe reading law books. Interesting thing is, two of my ex-gfs go to law school and one is planning to go to law school. Maybe I'm just one of those people that like to live vicariously...

 

[Cirrus83]

Thanks for the advice. So, just to clear things up, are you saying that you dislike your career? I thought about doing a MD/JD but was afraid that I'd fail as a lawyer since I absolutely loathe reading law books. Interesting thing is, two of my ex-gfs go to law school and one is planning to go to law school. Maybe I'm just one of those people that like to live vicariously...

I think it's just cuz you go out with too many Type-A asian girls.
(feel free to correct me, but that's my best guess here, having known many Type-A asian girls, who inevitably all plan on going to law school)

 

[Pkboi24]

I think it's just cuz you go out with too many Type-A asian girls.
(feel free to correct me, but that's my best guess here, having known many Type-A asian girls, who inevitably all plan on going to law school)

I'm not going to lie. You're probably right.

 

[neom3x11]

-

 

[PH7.4]

Great post, coloradocutter.

I agree 90% with 90% of your post and 100% with the other 10%.

90%: There are tons of crap jobs in the world that will suck the life out of you. Med school is at least more interesting than rotting in a cube. The debt, of course, needs to be controlled. Debt IS prison.

10%: It won't hurt any 22-year old to wait a year or two or three before doing med school. In fact, it can only help.

Whoa! "Do med school anyways...because it can't hurt. Just don't get into too much debt."

I am not a physician but have several relatives that are and I am a patent attorney who helps many physicians start biotechnology companies. Many of them are not happy precisely because they followed this "what else should I do mentality." Finding work you love and that pays well is a difficult journey and it is foolish to think that filling the next 8-10 years of your life with school/residency is going to automatically solve that problem for you. Although it feels like you have to hurry up and do everything now, you don't. If you start med school not knowing if its what you want to do or not at 22 and then you absolutely hate your life, at some point, the inertia will carry you through and you will do it because you feel like you "have to." If you are older, but more certain it is what you want to do, then you will probably have a totally different experience. So, bottom line, take the time you need to find out if it is what you want to do - and that is the same for graduate school of any kind.

On writing, I agree. If you want to find out if you want to be a writer, write. Can you handle the isolation? The frustration? Read the book "Forest for the Trees" - can't remember the author, but she is a poet, former editor, and currently a literary agent at one of the most prestigious firms. After reading her book, you come away with the feeling that the only people who should write are those that have to. She also talks about MFA programs.

And, for the 500 lb. gorilla in the room...where do I get off saying anything about this when I am an attorney, who are supposed to be the most unhappy professionals out there. Well, experience. I went to law school originally "to help people." I went to top school but with scholarships and the low tuition at a state school, I graduated with no debt. I was offered $125K to start at the age of 25. Now, almost 5 years later, I am making more than double that and I still can't leave. I can't imagine how hard it is to leave medicine if you are miserable because you are making a ton of money, but you need it to pay off your debt and you have invested much more than 3 years into it. Fortunately, I have been able to save a ton of $$$ that I am using to do other things and explore other options and law is something that I can do from home should I choose too. So, I guess I am just saying be sure this is what you want because life comes at you fast - kids, marriage, house payments change everything. You don't want to be stuck in job that you don't enjoy.